ASUS

Organizational levels and interactions of biosphere

Environmental equilibrium/Ecological balance

• The physical and biological components in which interactions take place for existence of
organisms is environment
• Physical Components (Abiotic Components) – Soil , Water , Air
• Biological Components (Biotic Components) – Plants , Animals , Micro organisms

What is Environmental Equilibrium?

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Organizational Levels in Biosphere

• Individual - A single organism belongs to a particular species and lives in the environment is
referred to as an individual.
E.g. - Coconut plant, Elephant

• Population - A group of organisms belong to the same species in a particular geographical location
during a specific time period is called a population.
E.g. - The number of elephants lived in Yala national park in year 2011 is 5,879
Human population in Sri Lanka in year 2014 is 21,899,445

• Community - A group of different populations, interact with each other in a particular area is reffered to
as community
E.g. - Animal community in Yala national park
Mangrove plant community in Negombo lagoon area

• Ecosystem - All the communities and the non living component with which they interact in a particular
area is called an ecosystem.
E.g. - A pond, A decaying log, A forest
A beach with rocks and cliffs
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• Biosphere - The part of the earth and its atmosphere that is inhabited by living things is called biosphere.
The biosphere is composed of three components.
• Lithosphere - The crust and the upper mantle of the earth.
• Hydrosphere - The region that includes all the oceans and fresh water bodies. 70% of the earth
surface is covered with water.
• Atmosphere - The region that contains air around the earth.

Growth of population and growth curves

The number of organisms of a species, living in a unit area of a selected habitat is called the population
density.
E.g. - Human population density of Sri Lanka in year 2014 is 329.12 km-2

The size of a natural population varies with time. There are four factors that affect the population
density.
• Births (Number of new born organisms added to the population)
• Deaths (Number of organisms die in the population)
• Immigration (Number of organisms add to the population from outside)
• Emigration (Number of organisms leave the population)

Typical growth curve of population

• The number of organisms in a natural population changes with time according to a particular
pattern.
• When this pattern is expressed in a graph it will be a sigmoid shaped growth curve.
• There are four main phases in it.

Phase 1 - Slow growth phase (Lag phase)

This phase starts slowly because intially there is a shortage of reproducing individuals which may
widely dispersed.

Phase 2 - High growth phase (Exponential phase/ Log phase)

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The number of organisms that reproduce is high. Presence of favourable environmental conditions
and abundance of food increases the growth rate of organisms rapidly.
Birth rate exceeds death rate.

Phase 3 - Deceleration phase

Due to the competition for resources, food shortage, spreading of diseases, predation and parasitism,
the growth rate of population decreases.

Phase 4 - Stationary phase/ Stabilizing phase

The number of organisms in a population increases till it has a population adapted to environmental
conditions which the environment can bear.
Once it reaches its carrying capacity the population achieves the dynamic equilibrium.
During dynamic equilibrium birth and death rates balance. Hence the growth of the population is
considered as zero.
When it comes to this balanced situation the number of organisms in the population is called as the
carrying capacity.

Growth curve of human population

It takes J shape for human population. That means the human population is still in exponential
phase.

Mechanisms involve in maintaining the equilibrium of

ecosystems

Flow of energy and nutrients

Food Chain
The sequence of energy and materials flow from producer to consumers is referred to as a food chain.
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Food web
• The mutual relationships for food among organisms is referred to as food webs.
• Organism is free to depend on different types of food.
• This helps to avoid bioaccumulation of organisms

Trophic level
The links of a food chain are known as trophic levels.
The number of trophic levels of a food chain cannot be exactly predicted.
Most often it is less than five links.
Organisms belong to last trophic level would be carnivorous predators.

All organisms can be divided into three groups on the basis of their mode of nutrition.
• Autotrophs
• Heterotrophs
• Decomposers

Autotrophs - Organisms which can transform simple inorganic compounds into organic compounds to
fulfill their nutrition requirement are called autotrophs.
Eg - Green plants, algae and some bacteria

Heterotrophs
The animals that cannot produce their own food are known as heterotrophs.
They depend on food produced by other organisms (Consumers)
Primary consumers (Herbivores. Feed on producers)
Secondary consumers (Carnivores/ Omnivores. Feed on primary consumers)
Tertiary consumers (Carnivores)
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Decomposers
Organisms feed on bodies of dead organisms and organic waste products by converting complex organic
compounds into simple compounds are known as decomposers.
Eg - Bacteria(Saphrophytes)
Fungi

Ecological Pyramid
Built up using number of organisms, biomass and energy relationships in different trophic levels
The base of the pyramid represents, producers and the rest of the rows represent consumers

Three types of Ecological pyramids.

• Number pyramid
• Biomass pyramid
• Energy pyramid

Number pyramid

The graphical representation of number of organisms in different trophic levels is called the number
pyramid. It is expressed as the number of organisms per square meter (1 m2).
Both upright and inverted pyramids are possible
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Biomass pyramid

• The graphical representation that shows the total amount of organic matter present in different
trophic levels is called biomass pyramid.
• Expressed as grammes per square meter per year (g m-2 yr-1)
• Most of the time the biomass pyramids are upright.
• But rarely, the biomass of consumers in aquatic environment is greater than that of producers.
Then the biomass pyramid is an inverted one.

Energy pyramid

• The graphical representation that shows the amount of energy, flows through different trophic
levels is called the energy pyramid.
• Expressed as kilo joules per square meters per year (kJ m-2 yr-1).

• Only 10% of energy in a trophic level passes to the upper trophic level. 90% of the energy is
dissipated to the environment. Therefore the energy in the upper trophic levels is less than the
lower trophic levels. So the energy pyramids are always upright.
• The number of links in a food chain is less than five levels due to this loss of energy.
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Flow of energy through ecosystem

The main energy source of the biosphere is the sun. Green plants absorb sunlight, and use CO2 and
water as raw materials to produce glucose. This process of fixing energy of sunlight is called
photosynthesis.

The energy fixed by producers passes from organism to organism along trophic levels. Only 10% of
the energy of lower trophic levels passes to the upper trophic levels. 90% of energy is lost in each
trophic level as heat.

Energy dissipation
The loss of energy during transferring energy from one trophic level to the next, is called energy dissipation.
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Biogeochemical cycle
• The process of cyclic circulation of essential chemical components through atmosphere,
hydrosphere and lithosphere of biosphere is called Biogeochemical cycle.

• Cyclic circulation of water, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and phosphorous takes place in the biosphere.
The natural environmental balance is maintained by these Biogeochemical cycles.
• Eg -
• Carbon Cycle
• Nitrogen Cycle
• Phosphorous Cycle

Carbon cycle
• The main method of fixing carbon in an ecosystem is photosynthesis. Animals depend on green
plants and they receive carbon through those food.
• Decomposers obtain carbon by digesting dead organisms.
• All organisms release carbon as CO2 during respiration. When decomposers are absent, carbon in
dead plants and animals convert in to fossil fuels. This process needs millions of years to be
completed.
• During combustion of fossil fuels carbon releases. Micro organisms play a major role in carbon
cycle. They release carbon in dead matter rapidly to the atmosphere.

Nitrogen cycle
The main source of nitrogen of earth is the atmosphere.
The fixation of atmospheric nitrogen takes place in three main methods.
Biological fixation
• Free living bacteria in soil (Azotobacter) and symbiotic bacteria like Rhizobium live inside root
nodules of leguminous plants that can convert atmospheric nitrogen into NH4+
.
Atmospheric fixation
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• During lightning atmospheric nitrogen is converted to nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide.

Industrial fixation
• Atmospheric nitrogen converts to nitrate during industrial production of chemical fertilizers.
• Nitrifying bacteria like Nitrosomonas first convert Ammonium compounds into nitrites and
then Nitrobacter bacteria convert nitrite to nitrates.
• These nitrates are absorbed by plants and used to synthesise proteins.
• These plant proteins pass into animals through food chains.
• Due to microbial activity on dead bodies of organisms, the nitrogenous compounds convert to
ammonium compounds known as ammonification and collect into soil.
• The denitrifying bacteria like Pseudomonas and Thiobacillus convert nitrates back to
atmospheric nitrogen.

Different environmental pollutants and their effects

Environmental pollution
Discharge of pollutants, which cause deleterious effects on natural environment is called
environmental pollution.
Environmental pollution are of three types.
• Soil pollution
• Water pollution
• Air pollution

There are different types of waste materials involved in environmental pollution.

• Agro chemical waste
• Industrial waste
• Greenhouse gases
• Heavy metals
• Particulate matter
• Domestic waste
• Electronic waste
• Nuclear waste

1. Excessive usage of agro chemicals

• The artificially synthesised chemicals for agricultural practices are called agro chemicals.
• Includes chemical fertilizers, weedicides, insecticides, and fungicides
• Weedicides, insecticides and fungicides are commonly known as pesticides.
• The dose of a pesticide required to kill 50% of a population of a particular pest species is
defined as lethal dose (LD50).

The gazette announcement issued on 23rd of December 2014 by the government has banned selling
and usage of chemicals such as Glyphosate, Propanil, Carbaryl, Choloropyrifos and Carbofuran.

2. Discharge of industrial effluents to the environment

The waste materials that discharge after the production process which cannot be used again are called
industrial wastes.
The discharge of these industrial wastes to the environment causes harmful impacts on the environment.
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• Hydrocarbons
The compounds formed by combination of carbon and hydrogen only in different ratio are called
hydrocarbons.

Methods of releasing hydrocarbons to the environment

• Release of CH4 (methane the simplest hydrocarbon) due to bacterial activity on garbage and dead
plant and animal matter in marshy lands.
• During usage of liquid petroleum (LP gas), petrol, diesel, kerosene as fuel that are obtained by
fractional distillation of crude oil.
• During usage of lubrication oil and greese which are products of fractional distillation of crude oil.

• Emission of greenhouse gases

• The temperature of the earth is fixed by a steady state balance between the energy received from
the sun and the energy radiated back by the earth.
• Carbondioxide, water vapour, methane, ozone and CFC absorb radiation given out from the earth
and some of it re-radiates back to the earth's surface.
• This re-radiation helps to warm the earth and maintains a climate that will support life. This is
called greenhouse effect and these gases are called greenhouse gases.
Types of greenhouse gases
Carbondioxide (CO2 )
Sulphurdioxide (SO2 )
Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)
Methane (CH4 )
Chloro Fluoro Carbon (CFC)
Water vapour (H2O)

Due to emission of greenhouse gases enormously, global warming increases.

Ways by which greenhouse gases released to the environment

• Release of CO2 due to excessive combustion of fossil fuels.
• Sulphur dioxide is released instead of CO2 due to combustion of fossil fuels and eruption of
volcanos.
• Release of CH4 due to anaerobic decomposition of dead plant and animal matter in marshy
lands and garbage.
• CFC is released when using refrigerators and air-conditioned appliances.

Accumulation of heavy metals in the environment

The metals with high density and higher relative molecular mass are called heavy metals. Discarded
metal items, instruments and parts of vehicles that contain heavy metals accumulate in the
environment.
Some heavy metals are naturally present in the soil of some areas.

Types of heavy metals

Mercury (Hg)
Arsenic (As)
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Chromium (Cr)
Cadmium (Cd)
Lead (Pb)
Copper (Cu)
Manganese (Mn)
Zinc (Zn)

Methods by which the heavy metals released into the environment

• Release of industrial wastes, wastes of zinc mines, electro plating and cadmium (Cd) released
during production of orange coloured pigments.
• Due to excessive usage of agro chemicals, arsenic (As) is released to the environment.
• Release of lead (Pb) from lead mixed petrol.
• Due to excessive usage of coal, discard of damaged thermometers, barometers, CFL bulbs, the
paints used to apply on ships and industrial wastes release mercury (Hg).
• Chromium (Cr) is released by paints, cement, paper and rubber. Chromium is used as a pigment
to colour them.
Assignment 15.7
Particulate matter
There are two types of particulate matter accumulated in air. They are solid particulate matter and
liquid particulate matter.

Sulphurdioxide
A colourless gas with a pungent smell. When it releases to the environment it causes a big impact on
the atmosphere.
Methods of releasing SO2 to the environment
• When using coal as a fuel
• During combustion of petroleum
• During combustion of vulcanized rubber products
• During bacterial activity on organic matter
• During eruption of volcanoes

Oxides of nitrogen (NOx)

Oxides of nitrogen (NO, NO2) cause a big impact on the environment once they are released to the
atmosphere.
Methods of releasing oxides of nitrogen to the environment
• During lightning, the reaction between N2 and O2 form oxides of nitrogen.
• During combustion inside the engines of vehicle N2 and O2 react together to form oxides of nitrogen.
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Acid rain
• Naturally rain is little bit acidic due to dissolution of carbondioxide and nitrogendioxide (NO2).
• The pH is about 5.6 of natural rain water.
• Sometimes this pH decreases, that is acidity of rain increases. The reason for the increase of
acidity
• in rain is due to increase of sulphurdioxide, sulphurtrioxide and nitrogendioxide in the
atmosphere.

• Sulphurdioxide is water soluble and then it makes sulphurous acid (H2SO3) with water.
• This sulphurous acid further oxidizes to make sulphuric acid (H2SO4).
• Sulphuric acid is formed due to dissolution of sulphurtrioxide too.
• Nitrogendioxide helps in increasing acidic nature of rain. It forms nitric acid with water.
• Water mixing with above acids to form rain is known as acid rain.

Adverse effects of acid rain

• Destruction of forests and crops.
• Destruction of aquatic organisms due to increase of acidity in water.
• Affect the aborption of minerals by plants.
• Dissolving of limestones and other rocks.
• Destruction of metalic buildings, statues, and other ruins.
• Some poisonous heavy metals dissolve in water and the concentration increases in
• reservoirs.

Domestic waste
• Food scraps, spoiled food, plastic and polythene wastes, discarded clothes, glass and porcelain
items, garden wastes and human excretory matter belong to domestic wastes.
• These are added to the environment continuously.

Electronic waste
• The electrical and electronic accessories which are stopped permenantly from reselling, and
selling are called e-waste.

The materials released as e- waste

• Lead - Battery, circuit boards, cathode ray tubes of computers and televisions
• Mercury - Thermometers, florescent lamps
• Cadmium - Battery, cellular phones
• Berilium - Computers, telephone, automatic electronic apparatus
• Arsenic - Light emitting diodes (LED)
• Polyvinylchloride (PVC) - Computer casings, wires, etc.

Nuclear-waste
• The radio active and high toxic materials discarded by nuclear preparation centres and nuclear
weapons are known as nuclear wastes.
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• Uranium and plutonium are the main elements used as nuclear fuels. The radioactivity of them
can exist for a longer period of time.
• Therefore, they are deposited in deep sea or ground after covering by thick concrete or metal
casing.

Domestic chemical-waste
• With the industrial development, the usage of chemicals for domestic purposes instead of
natural materials has become popular. In present days there are many such chemicals that are
used for domestic purposes.
• Food additives, cleaning agents, medicine, paints and cosmetics are the main chemicals that
come under domestic chemical waste.

Food additives
The substances that are added to food to enhance the taste, odour, appearance nutrification and shelf -
life are called food additives.

E-number
• E-number is a code given by European union to indicate that the food additive is
experimentally proven to assure that it is safe for human consumption.
• Though it is given by an E- number, reliability of some additives is not 100% assured.
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Diseases caused by food additives

• Wheezing
• Kidney disorders
• Diabetes
• Cardiac diseases
• Cancers (Digestive tract, Lungs, Liver, Thyroid gland)
• Allergies (Skin diseases)
• Disorders associated with nutrition
• Diseases of nervous system
• Hyperactivity of children
• Mental disorders
• Diseases associated with digestive tract.

Cleaning agents
Soap or different types of shampoo are used to cleanse skin and hair.
Soap or detergents are used to wash clothes and different types of cleaning agents are used to clean
floors and walls.
Cleaning agents are important to do the cleaning activities which cannot be done with water, better.
The basic raw materials of soap are plant oil or animal fat and a strong base like sodium hydroxide or
potassium hydroxide. Coconut oil and other plant oils are often used for this purpose.

Soap bubbles retaining on water surface causes harm to aquatic organisms as well as coral reef

Medicines
In the past, man had a sound knowledge of popular indigenous medicines and they used natural
medicines.
At present there are different kinds of medicines at home that are used without prescription to ease
simple ailments. Examples are using anodynes for fever, using different creams for pains and itching
and using antacids for gastro acidity.
Moreover, when there are cuts and bruises, antiseptics like spirit is used. Antiseptics is a chemical
which is applied on living tissues which destroy microorganisms or prevent their growth. When they
are used, the correct dosage should be taken on the correct time.

It is very dangerous to use medicine without the advice of the doctors for a long period of time. In the
past, margosa, turmeric liquid and salt water were used as disinfectants and at present artificial
disinfectants are used to clean the floor, kitchen, toilets and bathrooms. Disinfectants destroy
microorganisms and it is not safe for them to come into contact with living tissues.
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Many side effects can be resulted due to their excessive use and they should be used moderately. By
using disinfectants often and excessively in the toilet, the microorganisms that decompose faeces are
destroyed.

Cosmetics
For cleanliness, beauty, health and pleasantness, people have used natural plant extracts like
sandalwood, turmeric and types of clay as cosmetics for thousands of years in the history.

At present, perfumes, bleaching creams, talc, hair colourants and bleaches, deodorants and lipsticks
are used as cosmetics.
There are naturally or artificially synthesized oils, colourings, fragrant substances, distilled substances
and preservatives contained in them.
Most of them are complex carbonic substances. In perfumes and deodorants, there are alcohol, esters
and distilled substances.
When these are used excessively, some diseases are caused in some people. Sometimes, headaches,
vomiting and breathing difficulties can occur. In most of the lipsticks, there is Lead and the excessive
usage can cause dryness and cracks on lips.

Mercury is present in some cream. In some other creams, carbon compound that controls the
formation of melanin colourant is present. This will destroy the natural protection that protects the
skin from ultraviolet rays and poses the risk of skin cancer. It gets into the skin and harms the
connective tissues.
The use of cream for a long period of time can cause defects in skin. Sometimes, this can harm the
brain, liver and kidneys. Some hair colourings and compounds with bleaches cause allergies in some
people. This causes itching in the scalp, skin rashes, swelling, cancers and even death.

Paints
A material that is applied on sufaces to protect the surface having a desired colour are called paints.
Paints contain three components.
• Pigment - They are produced mainly by metal oxides or metal salts. Bronze, gold, zinc and
alminium metals are prepared into a fine powder and used as pigments.
• Binder or non volatile substance
• Vehicle or solvent - Volatile hydrocarbonic substance such as turpentine is used as vehicle.
water is used as the vehicle for water soluble binders.

Cumbustion of fossil fuel and waste matter

Combustion of fossil fuel enormously in factories, automobiles, petroleum power stations results in
emitting a large amount of carbonmonoxide (CO), carbondioxide (CO2) and sulphurdioxide (SO2).

Burning of plastics and polythene too emits dioxin and other gases.

Persistent Organic Pollutants - POPs

Some toxic, hazardous organic substances have been identified as persistent organic pollutants.
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They are released to the environment from different sources. These pollutants have certain specific
features as follows.
• Persist in the environment for a long of time period
• Accumulate in the body of organisms along food chains
• Widely dispersed in the environment
• Highly toxic

Twelve organic pollutants have been identified as dirty dozen which can pose effective threat to the
earth.

Other than those, some other compounds belong to persistent organic pollutants. These POPs cause
certain adverse effects as follows,
Inborn defects
Cancers
Mental defects
Weakness of the immunity and function of reproductive system.

Adverse effects of environmental pollution

• Direct effects of environmental pollution

Acid rain
Acid rain is a harmful condition caused by the industrial wastes such as oxides of nitrogen and
sulphur.

Global warming
Greenhouse effect occurs in the atmosphere with the high concentration of the polyatomic molecules
of greenhouse gases such as carbondioxide, methane, CFC etc.
High amount of energy received from sun is refracted away from the earth when the greenhouse gases
exceed their permissible level.
Hence, the temperature of the atmosphere increases. This is called global warming
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Ill effects of greenhouse effect

• Melting of polar Glaciers due to global warming
• Rising of sea level and small islands will be submerged
• Change of global climatic patterns

Depletion of ozane layer

Ozone is a trimetric molecule of oxygen.
This is a thin layer found at 25 km away from the earth surface. At higher atmosphere oxygen absorbs
Ultra Violet radiation and forms atomic [Link] atomic oxygen is highly reactive. They react with
O2 to form O3.
This O3 is converted back to O2 and natural equilibrium is maintained.
This ozone layer acts as a protective shield to prevent the entry of harmful UV radiation to the earth
surface.

But gases like CFC and nitric oxide (NO) destroy ozone layer by detaching O2. CFC at higher
atmosphere obtain solar radiation and is converted to atomic chlorine. This atomic chlorin reacts with
O3 and breaksdown ozone molecules. Similarly nitric oxide also reacts with ozone to destroy them.
Due to the depletion of ozone layer, holes appear in it. As a result, radiation with high energy reaches
the earth surface.

Ill effects of ozone layer depletion

Cause cataracts
Cause mutations
Reduce body immunity
Affect photosynthesis and reduce crop yield

Photo chemical smog

It is a yellow coloured mist that is formed due to reaction, resulted between sunlight and the
chemicals in vehicle emission, which causes eye irritation and vision impairment.
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Adverse effects of photochemical SMOG

• Cause respiratory tract disorders like cough, wheezing etc.
• Toxic to plants. So plant growth and food production is affected.
• Vision is affected due to turbidity.
• The quality of rubber and clothes reduces due to bleaching.

Biomagnification
Collection of toxic chemical pollutants along with food chains from one trophic level to the other is called
biomagnification.

Features of bioaccumulated substances

• These substances do not degrade easily and retain for a longer period of time
• Can pass from one organism to the other
• Soluble in lipids
• Become active as biochemicals
• These substances enter into lower trophic levels in micro amounts. But they get concentrated
along higher trophic levels.

Eutrophication
Phosphate and nitrate concentration in reservoirs increases due to waste materials from industries,
agrochemicals, faecal matter and detergents.
As a result algae grow excessively and form a green coloured foamy layer. This incident is
known as eutrification.
The over populated algae die due to competition and anaerobic bacteria act on these dead matter and
emit gases such as hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4)which result an
unpleasant odour.
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Ill effects of eutrofication

• Loss of transparency of water
• Unable to utilize water
• Reduction of bio diversity due to death of aquatic plants and animals
• Loss of beauty of reservoirs

Increase of radiation level

Exposure to radiation increases day by day' These radiations are released by natural sources and due
to human activities.
Especially destruction of ozone layer and accidents in nuclear power stations are the reasons for this
situation.
E.g- Fukushima power station in Japan, Churnobill power station in Russia

• Indirect effects of environmental pollution

Loss of habitats of organisms
The natural environment where a plant or an animal lives is known as a habitat.
These habitats are lost due to environmental pollution. Wild elephants tempt to destroy villages and
agricultural lands due to the loss of their habitat. That is a result of environmental pollution.

Desertification
The change of the ground condition making unsuitable for the plant growth is called desertification.
Deforestation, greenhouse effect, salination and natural causes such as weather changes are the
reasons for desertification. Irregular monsoon rains causing droughts is a result of this.

Reduction of crop yield

When the conditions required for photosynthesis are not present in optimum levels the productivity
of plants is affected. Therefore, the yield is reduced. Lands become infirtile due to their constant use
for agriculture. The productivity of plants decreases through water, land and air pollution.

Constructions and degradation of natural environment

Metal statues, buildings, ruins and marble buildings are eroded by acid rains. Natural
limestones also degrade due to acid rains. As temperature of the environment
increases wall plasters and paintings of Taj Mahal is at a risk of deterioration.

Health issues
As environment is polluted, the infectious (contagious) and non – infectious (non-contagious)
diseases spread rapidly in the environment. Due to improper disposal of garbage, diseases like
Dengue spread.

Reduction of biodiversity
Reduction of number of species in a unit area of biosphere is known as reduction of biodiversity.
When pruning some plants used in landscaping some parts are removed. When ornamental fish like
catfish grow in size they are released to the natural water bodies. These organisms become a threat to
other organisms in the natural environment and affect the biodiversity.

Introduction of invasive species

Invasive species are results of the changes in the environment' These species can tolerate the
conditions and therefore invade the habitats of native species.
E.g. - Giant Mimosa, Trout, Andara, Lantana
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Economical losses
An extra amount of financial input and effort is needed to revise the environment and maintain it.

The factors that affect the life style of human and the problems created
Factors that affect the life style of human

Industrialization: The shift from an agricultural society to one focused on producing goods and
services, starting in Western Europe around AD 1800 due to technological progress and the limits of
small-scale production.

Urbanization: Movement of people to cities for jobs and a better lifestyle, leading to urban growth.

Commercial Agriculture: Large-scale farming for profit using modern techniques, machinery, and
agrochemicals.

Irrigation Systems: Use of tanks, reservoirs, canals, and dams to supply water for agriculture beyond
rain dependency.

Utilizing Materials and Energy: Efficient use of materials and energy with minimal labor due to
technological advancements.

Problems that arise due to changes in life style

Growth of non contagious diseases and dissabilities

Non-Contagious Diseases
Diseases that do not spread from person to person, such as cancer, pulmonary diseases, and diabetes.
They are caused by factors like tobacco, alcohol, poor diet, and lack of exercise, leading to 38 million
deaths annually (WHO).

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD):

CKD is the gradual loss of kidney function, common in agricultural areas. It includes:

1. Acute Renal Failure: Temporary loss of kidney function, often reversible with treatment.
2. Chronic Renal Failure: Irreversible, progressive kidney function loss.

Causes: Diabetes, high blood pressure, urinary infections, bladder calculi, intoxication (snake/wasp
venom, agrochemicals), and allergies.

Symptoms: Frequent night urination, low/no urine output, back pain, swollen feet/ankles, weakness,
pale skin, protein in urine, rashes on palms/soles.
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Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD):

Common in agricultural workers exposed to agrochemicals, with late-detectable symptoms.
Symptoms appear late, with significant kidney damage by diagnosis.

Causes: Toxins, heavy metals, hard water, dehydration, drug misuse, alcohol.

Prevention: Avoid agrochemicals, stay hydrated, control diabetes, treat infections, and limit alcohol,
smoking, and painkillers.

Diabetes: A condition where blood glucose levels are high due to insufficient insulin production from
the pancreas. Causes include poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to
kidney damage and blindness.

Cancer: Uncontrolled cell growth, often caused by radiation, chemicals, and heavy metals.

Heart Diseases: Caused by blocked vessels or heart malfunction due to poor lifestyle, lack of exercise,
and stress.

Pulmonary Diseases: Affect respiratory organs, caused by harmful gases from vehicles and factories.

Wheezing: Airway obstruction from mucus due to allergies, pollutants, and dust.

Gastritis: Stomach lining inflammation from irregular meals, oily foods, acids, and stress.

Cataracts: A condition where changes in eye lens proteins cause loss of transparency, reducing vision.
Exposure to ultraviolet rays, due to ozone depletion from factory emissions, is a key cause.

Sustainable development and environmental management

Sustainable development is the smart use of the natural resources by safeguarding the balance of the
environment in such a manner that the future generations can use them in the future.

Sustainable Agricultural Uses

Promoted through reforestation, traditional knowledge, reducing carbon footprint, minimizing food miles,
waste management, and energy conservation.

Multiple Cropping:
Growing different crops in one area to reduce disease risks and pest resistance.

Biological Pest Control:

Using natural predators, plants, or microorganisms to control pests without harming crops, e.g., controlling
coconut caterpillar with Dimokia javanica.
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Use of Organic Fertilizer:

Organic fertilizers from decomposed plant and animal matter improve soil structure, porosity, and promote
soil organism activity, making them eco-friendly.

Reforestation for Environmental Balance:

Reforestation restores natural forest cover lost due to human activities like agriculture and development,
helping maintain environmental balance.

Traditional Knowledge and Use of Technology

Agriculture
Emphasizes the use of traditional farming methods, local seeds, and reduced chemical use for
sustainable agriculture, as practiced during King Parakramabahu's era.

The technology of irrigation

• Historical Large Tanks: Designed to collect and store

water for agriculture.
• Key Components:
o Tank Bund: Built with layers of clay, soil, gravel, and
beaten clay for stability and durability.
o Sluice Gate (Bisokotuwa): Controls water flow and
pressure.
o Canal (Ralapanawa): Facilitates water distribution
and prevents wave erosion with stones.
o Outspill: Manages excess water overflow.
• Water Management:
o Tanks effectively manage water pressure to prevent structural damage.
o Mud Sluices: Remove alluvial deposits collected during rainy seasons.
o Isweti Brinks: Prevent sediment from entering the tank.
• Tank System Hierarchy: Smaller tanks feed into larger ones for efficient water distribution.
• Environmental Conservation:
o Wew Ismaththa (Head Wall): Acts as a water catchment area where deforestation,
agriculture, and construction are prohibited.
o New Thawulla: Surrounding area that supports biodiversity, promoting sustainable
water management.

Conventional Food Patterns

Traditional food patterns enhance nutrition, health, culture, and quality of life. However, consuming
oily, starchy foods, flavorings, and unhealthy habits can lead to public health issues, increasing the risk
of non-contagious diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes.

Natural Flavourings:

• Enhance food’s color, taste, and aroma.

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• Contain bactericidal properties and reduce harmful effects.

• Examples:
o Cinnamon: Controls blood sugar, reduces phlegm-related diseases, and has anticancer
properties.
o Clove: Relieves pain, freshens breath, and fights microbes.
o Pepper: Aids digestion and eases abdominal disorders.

Indigenous Medical Science:

• Includes Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and traditional medicine.

• Branches: Clinical (Kayachikithsa) and Surgical science.
• Three Body Reactions in Ayurveda:
o Va (Air)
o Pith (Bile)
o Kapha (Phlegm)
• Imbalance causes diseases. Treatments include medicine, food, and exercises, focusing on the root
cause without external drug reliance.

Role of Food in Curing Diseases:

Food helps balance the three factors—Va (Air), Pith (Bile), and Kapha (Phlegm)—to cure diseases.
Its goal is not just to treat illnesses but also to maintain physical and mental health.

Carbon footprint and minimization of food mile

Carbon Footprint:
The CO₂ released into the atmosphere from human activities. Measuring it fully is complex as CO₂ is
naturally produced.

Water Footprint:
The amount of freshwater used in producing goods.

Food Mile:
The distance food travels from producer to consumer, affecting environmental impact.
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Waste Management and 4R Technique

Increasing population leads to higher waste generation, including non-biodegradable items like
plastic, polythene, and electronic waste. Burning these releases harmful gases like dioxins, while
burying causes soil pollution with heavy metals.

4R Waste Management Approach:

1. Reuse: Use items repeatedly (e.g., polythene).

2. Reduce: Minimize unnecessary items (e.g., avoid unnecessary antibiotics).
3. Replace: Opt for eco-friendly alternatives (e.g., organic fertilizers instead of chemical ones).
4. Recycle: Convert waste into new products (e.g., biogas from animal waste, fuel from plastic).

Proper waste segregation and recycling help reduce environmental damage.

Energy Management

Involves planning and monitoring energy production and consumption to ensure sustainable use and cost
efficiency.

Energy Crisis and Technological Issues:

Occurs due to high demand and limited supply of resources, leading to fuel oil and electricity crises.

Reasons for Energy Crisis:

• Rapid population growth

• Industrial expansion
• Overconsumption and energy wastage
• Lack of renewable energy exploration
• War activities and political issues

Technological Challenges:
Issues in energy extraction and purification methods.

Energy Management

Focuses on monitoring, controlling, and improving energy use for efficiency and sustainability.

• Energy Auditing: Evaluates energy consumption in institutions to recommend improvements.

• Energy Efficiency: Utilizes minimal energy for maximum output without compromising service
quality.
• Sustainable Energy Use: Promotes renewable resources like solar, wind, and biomass despite
technical challenges.

Utilizing Natural Energy in Architecture:

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• Enhances indoor air circulation and reduces artificial energy dependency.

• Optimal window placement, thick curtains, and rainwater harvesting improve energy conservation.

International Environmental Conventions:

• Montreal Protocol: Controls ozone-depleting gases.

• Kyoto Protocol: Reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

National Environmental Institutions:

Include the Ministry of Environment, Central Environment Authority, and others responsible for
environmental laws and regulations.